Christmas with the Rogers' family
by Natascha Romanoff
Summary: A series of festive one shots about Steve and Natasha's little family. Takes place in the Nine Months universe. Cover image by ym4yum1
1. A present for Natasha

_This will be a series of festive one shots that all take place in the Nine Months universe. You don't necessarily have to read it to follow these little stories but you can still check it out if you haven't already;)_

* * *

It were only eleven days until Christmas and Steve still hadn't gotten Natasha's present. She had said that she didn't want anything, that celebrating Christmas with the entire team again for the first time after everything that had happened with the Accords and Siberia was more than enough, that _James_ got to spend Christmas with his _entire_ family for the first time was more than she could have hoped for but he still had to get her something. Well, not just something.

It still bothered him that he had never given Natasha an engagement ring. He didn't mind that she had been the one who proposed ( not counting him proposing after she had told him that she was pregnant and her saying no to him) but he still thought that he should have given her a diamond ring. Not that he could have afforded one when they had been hiding in Wakanda and then New Zealand. He hadn't had any hidden bank accounts and his official ones had been frozen by the CIA and he had pretty much lived off Natasha's money. She had been the one who bought the house in New Zealand but he had insisted to be the one to pay for their wedding rings. He'd only had enough money for a simple white gold band with tiny diamonds and he knew that she didn't care about these things but he still wanted her to have an engagement ring. Because she deserved it. She was the love of his life, the mother of his son and he finally could buy her presents with his own money after they were back in the public's good graces. The Accords were forgotten and his bank accounts unfrozen. A lot of the money had gone into the brownstone house in Brooklyn that they'd bought together but he had still more than enough to buy his wife a pretty diamond ring.

But he still hadn't found the perfect one and he was running out of time. He'd planned to "propose" to Nat on Christmas Eve after James went to bed but it looked like he had to postpone this proposal. Every ring so far hadn't been perfect. He couldn't just get one of those Tiffany rings that thousands of women had on their fingers. No, his Natasha deserved something special, something unique. Something _extraordinary_. Something that was just like _her_.

He'd asked Buck who almost had a heart attack after he'd realized how expensive diamond rings were.

He'd asked Sam who as it turned out had _zero_ taste in jewelry.

He didn't want to ask Tony since they weren't simply _there_ yet. Things were better between them now, mostly because of James since Tony desperately wanted to win the title of favorite uncle (which was Bucky), but he couldn't see them doing normal stuff like looking for diamond rings yet. Which was a shame because Pepper's ring was beautiful.

He'd called Clint who only said he couldn't imagine Natasha with a flashy engagement ring and then asked about the food of the Christmas party at the Tower. Everyone would be there for Christmas and he wanted Nat to have her ring by then, goddamnit!

He checked the watch on his laptop and realized with a shock that he had to pick up James from kindergarten. Had he really spent the entire morning looking at engagement rings on Pinterest? He quickly deleted his search history and left the house to pick up his son. Natasha was currently with Maria and Fury in Europe. He enjoyed having James to himself because he was most definitely a mama's boy (not that he could blame James, Natasha was an incredible mother) but he really missed his wife. And James missed his mommy. He refused to go to sleep until he'd heard his mother's voice. He just hoped that Fury would be satisfied soon and Nat could come home. The bed did really feel cold and empty without her and it broke his heart every morning when James crawled into their bed and realized that his mother wasn't there to pull him into her arms.

James was running towards him when he walked into the entrance hall of the kindergarten and showed him proudly the Santa Clause he'd drawn today. He was only three but he really had talent. It made him incredibly proud that his son was interested in art and good at it. He remembered how he and James had drawn animals on the walls of his new room a few months ago after they'd moved back to New York. Natasha'd filmed the whole thing and James had gotten chocolate chip cookies as a reward and Steve had gotten his reward later when their son had been sound asleep in his bed.

"Is mommy coming home today?" James asked with wide eyes when Steve helped him into his jacket.

"No, not yet. I'm sorry, buddy." Natasha had been gone for almost a week tying up loose ends of something SHIELD related. "But I'm sure she'll be home soon. She misses you as much as you miss her."

James nodded and asked him if they could visit the Christmas market on their way back. He said yes and wondered if he just got guilt-tripped by his three year old. He got hot chocolate for both of them and they took a stroll around the market with James gasping at pretty much everything. He definitely got his love for Christmas from his mother, not that Natasha would ever admit out loud that she loved Christmas. She was the one who decorated the house, baked tons of cookies and had made a gingerbread house with James before she'd left for Europe. And she'd loved Christmas even before James. He'd only realized after they had found out about Clint's family that she had sacrificed her Christmases with them so he wouldn't be alone. She had spent every Christmas with him during their partnership at SHIELD. She'd dragged a tree to his apartment and baked him cookies. She'd even held up a mistletoe and kissed him on the cheek. And she'd gone to Mass with him even though she wasn't catholic.

It was getting colder and time for them to go home. He didn't need Natasha to get mad at him because James got a cold. He was holding his son's hand and they were walking through their neighborhood back to their house when James tugged on his hand.

"Look, daddy! A rocking horse!" James was pressing his nose flat against the window of the antique store with said rocking horse. It was beautiful but they'd already gotten James' Christmas presents and Steve didn't even want to think about all the stuff the others were going to give him. Apparently Fury (out of all people!) had wanted to get James a Shetland pony but Natasha'd managed to talk him out of it.

But the rocking horse wasn't really what caught Steve's eye. No, it was the emerald ring in the showcase behind the toy. He was pretty sure that it was an emerald and it had such an unique green color that reminded him of Natasha's eyes. The stone was rectangular and had the perfect size. It was noticeable but not too big. The emerald was accompanied by two small diamonds and set in a white gold band. _This_ was the ring. He just knew it. He had to get it for Natasha. Didn't matter what it would cost. And if he had to sell his kidney, he would get that ring for his wife.

He walked to the store's door. "Are we getting the horse?" James asked excitedly.

"No." James' face fell. "But I'm getting a very special gift for mommy!"

James beamed. "Can I pick it out? Mommy loves everything I give her."

He ruffled his son's hair. "Yes, she does. But I already know what I'm getting. And you can't tell her when she comes home, okay?"

"But I tell mommy everything!"

"It's surprise, James. You love surprises, don't you? And I promise you that mommy will love this one."

James seemed to think about it, his brows cutely furrowed and then he nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you." He walked with James into the store where an elderly woman was standing behind the counter.

"Hello and welcome."

James waved shyly and Steve greeted the woman. "I'm interested in the emerald ring in the window."

"Ah, yes. We just got that beauty this morning. A very interesting stone, isn't it? Would you like to see it up close?"

He nodded and the woman got the ring out of the showcase. It was even Natasha's ring size! He handed the woman his credit card and waited patiently for her to give her the velvet box with Natasha's ring in it.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve and Steve watched Natasha sing James to sleep. He'd told them that he wanted to stay awake to wait for Santa but he'd had problems to keep his little eyes open during the Christmas move they'd watched earlier and his mother's lullabies always lured him to sleep. Natasha kissed James' forehead and turned the lights off so only the Christmas lights were giving James' room a soft glow.

"Hey." She smiled brightly at Steve and ushered him out of the room before closing the door carefully behind her. "I'd really feared at first that he would stay up the entire night to wait for Santa." She poked her finger into his stomach. "I wonder how you would look in a Santa costume. Probably pretty hot."

"I don't think Santa is supposed to look hot."

"No?" She feigned innocence while her finger traveled up to circled his nipple through his shirt. "I think we'll have a Santa hat somewhere. Why don't you find it and put on a show for your wife?"

He rolled his eyes at her and kissed her briefly. "I actually have something even better for you." He still couldn't believe that James had kept their little shopping trip at the antique store a secret. Or he'd spilled the beans and Natasha was only pretending for his sake. He really hoped that wasn't the case because he wanted to surprise her. "Go back downstairs and wait for me, please?"

"Okay?" She seemed a bit confused but walked towards the stairs. He quickly went to his office and got the velvet box out of its hidden place. Natasha was sitting on the couch when he came downstairs and only the Christmas tree and the fireplace were lighting up the room. She held her hand out to him and he let her pull him over her.

"I'm glad we got this quiet night before all the shenanigans tomorrow. I hope Pepper could stop Tony before he went a little too crazy." Her hand cupped his cheek and she kissed him softly. "Merry Christmas, Steve."

"It's not Christmas yet, sweetheart." He quipped and gave her deep kiss.

"It is in some parts of the world." She shot back and moved her hips a bit until they were pressing against his. "What is this?" She asked with raised eyebrows. _Right._ He'd gotten so lost in Natasha that he had forgotten about the box in his pocket.

"A little something for you." He sat up. "My present to you."

Her face fell. "Steve, we agreed that we wouldn't get each other anything. I really don't have a gift for you. Well, I bought new lingerie but that's not real-"

"Don't worry. This is something that I should have given you years ago." He moved his hand to his pocket and pulled the velvet box out. Natasha looked now even more confused. "I love you. I think I've always loved you. Even before I met you, even before you were born. If that makes any sense. Everything that'd happened to me has led me to you. I know that my heart was always meant for you. I've always loved you and I always will. You've given me a home. And you've given me a son. You gave me the honor of becoming your husband and I love you more each day."

Her eyes were glistening. "Steve-"

He opened the box. "So, this is a token of my love. I finally got you an engagement ring, doll. Even if it's three and a half years later." He smiled sheepishly. Natasha choked a laugh out and threw her arms around his neck.

"You're such a dork, Rogers." She whispered into his neck. "I love you, too. Now and forever."

"Do you like the ring?"

She moved her head from his neck to look at him and then the ring. "It's beautiful. It must have been pretty expensive."

"We'll just send James to a community college and not Harvard when he's 18."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I really love it. Thank you."

He was more than relieved that she liked the ring. He wanted her to know how much he loved her and he wanted that ring to be a sign of his love. He gently took her left hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger until it was sitting over her wedding band. They both looked at her hand and then Natasha grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him until they were both dizzy. "I love you. So much, Steve."

"I love you, too." He kissed her forehead. "Merry Christmas, Misses Rogers."

She laughed and started to unbutton his shirt. "It's not Christmas yet."

"It is in some parts of the world!" He grinned and helped her in getting him out of his shirt.


	2. James

_FYI: These one shots are in no chronological order or directly connected._

* * *

James was tugging his mother on her hand to get them faster to the ice rink in Prospect Park. Natasha had promised him a mother-son day before Christmas and he'd wanted to go ice skating. Steve hadn't been very happy about it because he always worried about her and the baby since she'd told him that she was pregnant but there was no way that she was going to disappoint her son and she knew how to ice skate! Nothing was going to happen to her or the baby. Or James.

She paid for their tickets and helped James into his ice skates and then into the rink. He'd definitely inherited her knack for graceful movements or it was simply the serum in his veins but he raced around the ice rink and didn't need her to hold his hand. _I'm a big boy, mama!_

Natasha smiled to herself and followed James to make sure that he was okay. James was enjoying himself and she was having a good time herself. She hadn't been on the ice for years and showed a little off with James cheering her on. She smiled lovingly at him and didn't say no when he'd asked if he could have some hot chocolate and a crepe.

James had Nutella all over his chin and mouth and she wiped it off with a napkin while he smiled at her. God, how she loved her boy. She couldn't wait to meet her other child. She and Steve had an appointment with Helen tomorrow to find out the gender. Steve was convinced that they were going to have a daughter and kept referring to the baby as _her._ Natasha didn't really care, she wouldn't mind having another son but she did like the idea of having a girl. They could raise her to make the world better for other girls.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, _chudo_?"

"Can we go to the toy store?" James asked shyly.

They'd already bought his presents and she and Steve didn't want James to get too much. They both grew up with nothing and while they spoiled James from time to time, they didn't want him to turn into a brat. They didn't want him to turn into one of those typical rich kids. That was the reason they'd sent him to a public kindergarten and not a private one.

"You already have so many toys, James. And I'm sure that Santa already knows what to bring you."

"Not for me, mama. Jake said that Santa never comes to his house and I already asked Santa in my letter to bring Jake and his sister presents but what if he forgets?" She almost melted. God, James was truly Steve's son. "Can we get them something? Please, mommy? I don't think Jake's parents can get them presents in case Santa forgets."

She knelt down and grabbed James' shoulders gently. "Yes, we can. I think that's a very good idea."

He beamed brightly. "Thank you, mommy! You're the best!"

They got a few small presents (she didn't want to make the parents uncomfortable) for Jake and his sister and James promised to go through his own stuff and added a few things for his friend and his sister. Natasha called Jake's mother after James went to bed and she told her that her husband had lost his job a few months ago. She seemed ashamed when Natasha told her about the presents they had for the children but she assured her that she had no reason to. If anyone could understand their situation it was her and Steve. She wished Samantha a nice evening and then thought about who could hire her husband. She knew so many people, surely one of them had a job for him.

* * *

"Nat? Are you okay?"

She flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper. Her morning sickness was killing her! And why the fuck was it called _morning_ sickness if you had it all day? "Yeah, I'm fine." She brushed her teeth and washed her face quickly. She wasn't really showing yet since she just got into the second trimester but her breasts were already bigger. Something that Steve really liked. Even Captain America was just a guy in the end.

"Is mommy sick?" She heard James' voice through the bathroom door. "Did your food make her sick?"

"No!"

She chuckled because Steve sounded pretty offended. She took one deep breath and then stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom. "I just ate too much, c _hudo._ Don't worry."

"You're going to the bathroom pretty often." James didn't look convinced. God, he was so perceptive. "And you're sleepy all the time. Are you sick? I thought we couldn't get sick? Should I tell Uncle Bucky that Christmas is chancelled?"

"It's cancelled, sweetie. And no, Christmas is not cancelled." She exchanged looks with Steve. They didn't really know how to tell James about the baby. He was pretty jealous when the other kids in kindergarten made a fuss about Steve. How would he react that he had to "share" his parents soon. And he was still so young, would he even understand that there would be another child in a few months in their house? They had to tell him about the baby now, hadn't they? She looked back at Steve who nodded.

She sat down on their bed against the headboard. "Come sit with us, James." Steve picked James up and put him into her open arms and then joined them in bed. "We have to tell you something."

"Okay?" He looked like he thought he'd done something bad.

"You know that we love you very much, right?" She asked him and he nodded.

"So very much, buddy." Steve added and pulled both her and James against his broad chest. "Nothing could ever change that."

She was just going to tell him. "I'm pregnant, James. You know what that means, right? There's a baby in my belly."

James moved away from her chest and sat beside her. Was he hurt? Angry? "Did I hurt the baby? Did I broke it?"

"Oh no, sweetie! You didn't, don't worry!" She pulled her sweater up so James could see her stomach. "See, the baby's still really small. But soon you can't lie on me anymore."

"And you can't be too active around mommy." Steve added quickly. "But what do you think, James? About the baby?"

"Does that make me a brother? Like daddy and Uncle Bucky are brothers?"

"Yes. Like Buck and me. But you're going to be brother and sister." Steve said with a smile and she'd thought back to last week when Helen had told them that they were having a girl and Steve had been smug the rest of the day. That and utterly moved. She already knew that their little girl would have her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Just like her mother did.

"A girl?" James wrinkled his nose and before she or Steve could say anything, he added. "I guess girls are cool. Mommy is cool and Aunt Pepper, too. She's cooler than Uncle Tony." Steve snorted and Natasha was sure that Tony was having a stroke right now even though he would probably agree. "I guess she can sleep in my room."

She ruffled James' hair. "She'll get her own room, don't worry. But you're okay with all of this? A lot is going to change but our love for you will never change."

"I'll have someone to play Avengers with! I'll be Captain America and she'll be Black Widow! Or she can be Captain America if she wants to!" He exclaimed and snuggled into her side. "Daddy always plays it wrong."

Steve huffed. "Excuse me, I _am_ Captain America!"

"No, you're daddy." James said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She turned her head to look at her husband who smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. Telling their son about the baby had gone better than they'd hoped for. He really was such a smart and good boy.

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she registered was Steve lifting James up into his arms. "I'm taking him to his room. Go back to sleep, sweetheart."

"Okay." She mumbled and reached for the blankets to cover herself. She faintly heard Steve leaving the room and placed her hand on her stomach. "Good night, Sarah." She couldn't wait to tell Steve on Christmas what name she'd chosen for their daughter. She thought Sarah Lauren Rogers was the perfect one and she was pretty sure that her husband would agree.


	3. James' first Christmas

_James' first Christmas_

Natasha watched her son crawl over the wooden floor of the living room. Steve and Sam were in town looking for a Christmas tree and Wanda was somewhere exploring the area. All of them had settled in New Zealand quite well after leaving Wakanda when James had been four months old. It was strange that it was summer now where they lived but at least she didn't have to worry about James getting too cold.

He was playing with his toys on the floor making a lot of noise and she was just watching him, her heart swelling at the sight of her son. She'd never pictured herself as a mother but now, that she had James, she couldn't imagine a different role for her. She loved her family more than anything in the world and she couldn't believe her luck that Steve had given her James.

"Mama!" James sat up and smashed two wooden toys against each other, delighted in the noise they'd made. She was incredibly moved that James first word had been _mama._ Steve tried to get him to say Dada next but had been unsuccessful so far.

She smiled brightly at him and walked over. He could already stand up on his own and even walk a few steps when someone was holding his little hands. "Hi, _chudo._ You like the noises, don't you!"

James was grinning and crawled over to her leg. She picked him up and kissed his forehead. "Are you hungry?" James might had her eyes but the rest was all Steve and just like his father, James ate a lot due to his fast metabolism. "Let's see what we have, okay?" James grabbed a strain of her hair and pulled on it. She winched in pain because he was pretty strong for his eleven months. "No. That hurts. Stop that." She gently pulled his hand away from her hair and picked up a toy for him to hold on their way to the kitchen. She was pretty sure that they still had carrot puree in the fridge.

She passed by the boxes with Christmas decorations in the hallway. God, she couldn't wait to decorate the whole house. She wanted James' first Christmas to be perfect. Steve had told her not to put too much pressure on herself since James wouldn't remember his first Christmas but _she_ would. She'd never celebrated the holiday as a child and she wanted it to be different for her son. It had to be _perfect_! James was supposed to have everything she had only dreamed of as a child.

She put James in his highchair when she was in the kitchen and opened the fridge to look for his mush. Ha, there it was. She got it out to reheat it when her phone started to ring. She placed the container on the kitchen counter and grabbed her phone from the island where she had left it. She picked it up checking the screen. _Fury_ was calling her. She hadn't talked to him in ages. Not since the whole Accord fiasco and she'd had to hide. He had no idea about her new _living situation._ She looked over to James who was babbling and playing with his toy.

She took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Yes?"

"I have a job for you." Fury announced nonchalantly. "Are you close to Chile? Your skill set is needed."

James was waving at her. She hadn't picked up a gun in over a year. And she wouldn't, _couldn't_ , leave her son. What if someone followed her back to New Zealand and found out that she had a child? And that Captain America was the father? No,she couldn't risk it.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I can't, won't. Doesn't matter. I'm not doing this job. I'm sorry, Nick. You have to ask someone else."

"You know that I don't really have that much of social circle anymore, right?"

"I do but I can't do it. And you won't convince me otherwise."

"And why is-"

"Mama, mama, mama!" James yelled and smashed his toy on the little table of his highchair. He was hungry and waiting for his food. "Mama!"

"What the fuck? Where the fuck are you? A playground?!" Fury barked into the phone while she put the container with James' puree into the microwave.

What was the point in lying? Despite the whole DC thing, she still trusted Nick. "No, I'm at home."

"Mama!"

"Are you watching TV?"

She almost laughed. Did Nick really not connect the dots or was he getting a bit slow in his old age? "No, that's my son." Silence on the other line. And then a quiet "Motherfucker". Then again silence. The microwave beeped and she got the food out and checked the temperature. James had to wait a bit until he could eat it. "You still there, Fury?"

"Yes." Another pause. "I thought you couldn't..."

"That was true but now I can." The OB/GYN in Wakanda had confirmed that Natasha was now as fertile as any other woman her age. Steve was truly a super soldier and she was now on birth control because she was soo not ready for another baby.

"Who's the father? Is Banner back without anyone knowing?"

This time she did laugh. Wow, Fury was really not up to speed _at all_.

"I have no idea where he is and it has never been like _that_ between us." Bruce had been a fever dream, an escape from her feelings for the one who truly had her heart. She had known that it would have never led anywhere with Bruce but it would have kept Steve at bay. She definitely owed Bruce an apology if she ever saw him again. She decided to tease Fury a little bit. "I'm also engaged." She had no ring to prove it but she'd asked Steve shortly before James had been born and they planned to get married in Wakanda next spring.

"Mama!" James stared at his food on the kitchen counter and she laughed and gave it to him watching him how he ate it with a spoon on his own. It was insane how far he already was thanks to the serums running through his veins.

"You're engaged?!" It sounded almost like Fury shrieked. "To whom?" Another pause. "Oh God, it's Rogers, isn't it? He knocked you up?!"

Now she was really laughing. "As observant as ever, Director Fury."

"Ha ha." He replied not amused. "What's the kid's name?"

"James."

"Hm, James. And where are you, Natasha?"

She thought about it for a second before she told him.

* * *

Steve came back into the bedroom after tugging James in for the night. They'd celebrated Hanukkah tonight and her little _chudo_ had barely kept his eyes open while Wanda had told them the tale of her people after lighting up the last candle of the menorah. It had been important to Natasha, Steve and Sam that they would not only celebrate Christmas but also Hanukkah for Wanda. Natasha could see that Wanda liked it in New Zealand and she was just wonderful with James but it still broke her heart that the girl had lost so much.

"I hope Wanda liked tonight." Steve said while changing into his pajamas. "I told her to go to the synagogue next town but she doesn't want to draw attention to us."

"We have to think of something nice for her." She answered him and walked over to Steve. "How's James?"

"Fell asleep while I was dressing him for the night. This week and Christmas next week are bit overwhelming for him. So many new things."

She nodded and looked at the Bartons' Christmas card on her dresser. Lila, the little sneak, had managed to send them one without the CIA or FBI noticing. They still talked on the phones Shuri'd invented but not very often. Better be safe than sorry. She didn't want anyone to find out about James. But there was still something that she had to tell Steve even though his hands on her waist and his kisses on her neck were pretty distracting. "Steve?"

"Hm?" He whispered against her skin while his hands moved to her behind. He had _such_ a thing for her ass.

"Fury called me yesterday."

He moved his head way from her neck to look at her. She tried not to sigh at the loss of contact. "What did he want?" He asked in alarm.

"He wanted me for a job. I declined." She nibbled on her lower lip. "He heard James in the background...so I told him. About James and about us."

"Okay." Steve nodded slowly. "What did he say?"

"Not much. He was surprised. He asked me for our address. And I gave it to him. I hope you're okay with that."

"If you trust Fury, then I do too. I know how important he is to you." He looked suddenly nervous. "I don't have to worry about him killing me in my sleep though, right?"

She snorted, he looked actually kinda worried. "What, are you scared, Captain Rogers?"

"No?" He said not very convincing.

"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

* * *

Christmas Eve was finally here and Natasha had just finished the gingerbread house she had made with James' _help._ He mostly tried to eat the candy and Steve not only made photos but also stopped James from eating too much sugar. They were very careful with James' diet, only giving him healthy food, but they agreed to let him have some treats during the holidays.

Steve himself was in heaven because Bucky managed to come from Wakanda to celebrate Christmas with them. He was currently exploring Auckland with Sam and Wanda but they promised to be back for dinner.

She looked at the gingerbread house with pride. She really did a good job if she was so inclined to say. She presented the house to James who clapped excitedly and then tried to steal the candy cane out of his father's hand when Steve was complimenting her work. "This looks amazing, Nat! Hey, stop that, James! You had enough candy for today, buddy!"

James looked ready to bawl his eyes out but stopped when someone knocked on their door. Even their baby realized that this was more than unusual. Sam and Wanda had keys, they wouldn't knock on the door and they never got anything delivered. She was frozen on her spot until Steve picked James up and placed him into her arms. "Go upstairs and hide in our bedroom until I come for you, okay?"

She nodded and left with James pressed against her chest the kitchen. "Mama?" He mumbled against her shirt clearly sensing her distress. "Shh, everything's okay, baby." She whispered, thousand thoughts running around her head. She could climb out of the window with James and then call for back up while Steve fought them off. She didn't want to leave him behind but they both agreed that James was their number one priority. She would bring James to their friends and then come back for Steve.

She was carefully walking up the stairs when she heard a voice coming from outside. "Hello? Anyone home? I didn't come all the way just to stare at your front door! Fury barked and knocked on the door again. She sighed in relief and turned on her heels to walk to the front door that Steve had already opened.

Fury was standing at the doorway shoving a box against Steve's chest. "Congratulations, I guess. Where's Romanoff?"

"I'm here!" She walked through the hallway until she was standing next to Steve. "What a surprise, Nick."

"Yeah, what a surprise." Steve echoed and looked really uncomfortable.

"Is this James?" He asked in a gentler voice and James hid his face in the crook of her neck. He was really shy and didn't like strangers. It had taken him a few hours until he had warmed up to Bucky when he'd arrived two days ago despite him being his namesake and uncle.

"Yes, he is. Can you say hi, James?" He shook his head slightly and clung closer to her. "He's a bit shy."

"He definitely didn't get that from you, Romanoff." Fury opened his coat and pulled a teddy bear out of his pocket. "Here for the kid." He said uncomfortably.

"Thank you, Nick. That is very sweet of you." She took the stuffed animal to show it to James. "Look what Nick has for you, _chudo_." James looked up from her neck and his eyes widened when he saw the bear. He grabbed it and looked at Fury with curiosity. "He's our friend."

"Um, why don't you come in." Steve said and moved aside to let Fury in. That made it possible for her to see what Fury had given Steve earlier. It was a freaking toaster. Ha! Was this his wedding gift?

They moved the party to the kitchen where Fury was staring at the gingerbread house. Right, she probably didn't strike Fury as the domestic type. She put James in his high chair and gave him his sippy cup. "So what brings you into our neighborhood?" She asked casually while Steve made coffee.

"I guess I had to see with my own eye if you weren't just fu-" He looked at James. "If you weren't just messing with me. How old is he?"

"He turns one next month." Steve answered and handed Fury a cup of coffee. "I take it you know that no one can know about James?"

Fury rolled his eye. "I'm not an idiot, Rogers. And who's gonna believe a dead guy anyway." He smirked and took a sip from his coffee. "How long are you two even a thing?"

"Long enough." She simply said. She didn't want anyone to know too much about her and Steve. That was too private. Her relationship with Steve was sacred.

Fury chuckled. "Okay, okay. Who else knows?"

She exchanged looks with Steve before answering. "Sam and Wanda. Clint. Barnes and T'challa." Fury raised his eyebrow at the last two names. She better not tell him that Bucky had come with Christmas presents from T'challa and his family for James.

James was getting sleepy and Steve offered to put him down for his nap. She half suspected that he offered so he didn't have to be alone with Fury. Was he really that worried about Fury's opinion about them? She loved Steve and he loved her and nothing else mattered.

Fury cleared his throat. "I couldn't really picture it but now that I'm here...You seem happy, Natasha."

She smiled. "I am. More than I ever thought I could be."

"Rogers seems a bit uneasy."

"He's scared of you."

Fury chuckled. "Is he treating you well?"

"Did you come to check on me?" Fury didn't answer and she knew he wouldn't give her one. But she also knew that he did come to see for himself if she was okay. "Steve's very good to me. He makes me happy. And he's amazing with James. I couldn't wish for a better father for my son."

"That's good. He should be scared of me if that weren't the case. If he didn't treat you right. Or the little one."

Aw, Fury was such a softie behind that eye patch and all that leather. "You're welcome to celebrate Christmas with us. But I should warn you that Barnes is here as well."

"Boy, one surprise after the other. I have to go. Duty's calling but thank you for the offer." He stood up. "I'll let myself out. This life seems to suit you. I won't call you with a job again. Enjoy every minute of this." He squeezed her hand. "Take care, Natasha. I'm proud of you." And with that he was gone.

* * *

Natasha carried James in his reindeer romper with Steve in tow downstairs where Sam, Wanda and Bucky were already waiting for them by the Christmas tree. They were busy taking photos for the family album until it was time for James to open his presents.

Everyone watched him and Steve was pressing a kiss against her temple while James was mostly playing with the wrapping paper instead of paying attention to his gifts. He was babbling and throwing the paper around.

Bucky's present for James had been a baseball and mitt so Steve and James could play baseball when he was older. Steve seemed pretty touched and she figured that there was maybe more to it but she didn't want to pry. Some things had to stay between Steve and his best friend. Wanda moved the wrapping paper around with her powers and James watched in awe while clapping his little hands.

She wished that Clint and his family were here but this Christmas was pretty close to being perfect. Everyone here loved James and would protect him with their lives. Sam tickled James' tummy and he giggled causing her to smile. Her son was surrounded by love and that was all she wanted for him.

"I love you." Steve whispered into her ear.

She kissed his cheek and told him that she loved him, too. More than she could ever express with words. James chose that moment to pick up his new baseball and threw it against Steve's chest.

"Ow! Hey!" Steve whined and rubbed his pec.

"Dada!" James beamed and ripped more wrapping paper apart.

Steve's eyes got big and everybody went quiet. "Can you say it again?"

"Mama!" He held his little hands up signaling that he wanted to be picked up. "Mama!"

Steve looked a little disappointed. "Everyone heard that before, right?"

"I thought he was saying mama all the time?" Bucky responded with a smirk causing Steve to narrow his eyes. She shook her head at their banter and picked her boy up. She knew that James would eventually learn more words but she still hoped for Steve that he would say Dada more from now on. She had James with his back pressed against her chest so he could see everything around him.

James was holding his hand out towards Steve. "Dada!" She would never forget the way Steve's whole face lit up in that moment. "Dada!"


	4. Liho

_A/N: Liho is Natasha's cat in the Black Widow comics (2014)_

* * *

Natasha opened the front door and quickly ran to her walk in closet to hide the presents she'd gotten for her kids today. Her shopping trip with Pepper had been quite successful and she pretty much got everything from the list she'd made with Steve. She walked into the bathroom of the master bedroom to store the little bag she'd gotten at La Perla. She would surprise Steve with its content tonight when the kids were asleep. She smiled smugly to herself already picturing how much Steve would like her new lingerie set. She'd never been a fan of lingerie until Steve but it was really nice how much he liked her in it. Not that he looked at her differently when she wore sweats and one of his hoodies.

She got out of the bathroom and Sarah was standing in the bedroom. "Hi, mommy!" She beamed brightly and ran towards her. Sarah had inherited her father's beautiful blue eyes but the rest was all Natasha. The red hair, the nose and the lips. And the love for ballet. Sarah was truly her mini-me. She picked her daughter up and kissed her temple causing her to giggle.

"Hi, my _zvezda!_ She buried her face briefly in Sarah's hair. God, her baby smelled so good. She just loved the way her children smelled. "Where are your brother and your daddy?"

"Daddy is helping Mrs. Lewis. She promised she'll give daddy cookies for me!" She said with bright eyes. Mrs. Lewis was the woman next door and Steve helped her from time to time since her husband had died last summer. "And Jamie...is in his room."

"Alright, let me say hello to him and then we can see if we can find some milk for your cookies, okay?"

"No!" Sarah shook her head. "Jamie says no girls allowed!"

Since when did her son think like that? He adored his little sister and Steve complained occasionally that he was a mama's boy. And he was only eight. Wasn't he a bit too young to find his mom already annoying?

She heard the front door open. "Kids, I'm back." Steve yelled from downstairs and she decided to greet her husband instead of thinking about James growing up too fast. She let Sarah down and walked holding her hand downstairs.

"You're already back!" Steve greeted with a smile and gave her a quick kiss.

"Yup. I got almost everything and even a little surprise for you." She said with wink and Steve's eyes briefly darkened. She was glad that even after almost ten years together their fire was still there. She couldn't wait for their weekend trip next week in Vermont. The kids would stay at Bucky's and while she would miss her two babies, she was also looking forward to having Steve all to herself.

"Do you have my cookies?" Sarah asked looking up at her father with big eyes.

Steve laughed and handed her a cookie jar. "But you have to share them with your brother. And don't eat the whole jar!"

"Okay, daddy." Sarah mumbled and left with the jar in her hands. She heard how a door opened and James quickly told Sarah to shut the door. She thought that he wanted Sarah to leave and that she would start to cry but it sounded like she was in her brother's room. What happened to no girls allowed?

Steve wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her against his body. "So what was that about a surprise?" His hand moved not so subtly to her behind.

Natasha chuckled and slid her hands up and down his chest. "You'll have to wait until the kids are sleeping, mister!" She laced her hands behind his neck together and pulled his head down for a kiss. Steve happily obliged and kissed her breathless. God, she hoped that he would never stop to have that effect on her. She had feared that a marriage and children would be the death of their romance but it just strengthened their love for each other. Their kisses grew deeper and more heated and she was really tempted to drag him to their bedroom.

Steve pulled away and chuckled lightly. "Okay, we'll have to stop or we'll traumatize our kids for live. But next weekend I have you all to myself and we're not setting one foot out of that cabin!" He kissed her again, but this time it was only a quick peck.

"We do have to do something to tell the kids about. I don't think they would understand why mommy and daddy didn't leave the bed for three days. They would probably think that we got sick or something." She laughed and patted his chest. "Try to control your hormones!"

"Then stop being so irresistible, doll." He gave her that boyish grin of his that she adored so much. "I'll still have to read over the reports Sam sent me. You wanna keep me some company until we have to make dinner? Sarah and James don't want any company today. I tried to get into James' room and they both basically chased me away."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Sarah told me that James wanted no girls in his room." Why was she lying about that? What were these two up to?

"They're probably making our christmas presents, sweetheart. That's all. So you wanna help me read Sam's reports?"

"I think you'll manage to do that on your own, Rogers."

"True." He smirked. "But with our kids locked in James' room with some secret mission, I think that we can include some make out sessions between every other report. You fit so nicely in my lap, sweetheart."

"You're such a dork!" She laughed but let him lead her to their shared office. They managed to get through one and a half files, kissing was so much nicer than trying to decipher Sam's horrible handwriting.

* * *

"Dad?" She heard James' voice coming from the kitchen while she was reorganizing the pantry. She thought that he was looking for Steve but then she heard her daughter's voice.

"No! Mommy is the boss of daddy! If she says no than he says no!" Natasha smiled to herself in her little hiding spot. Her daughter did have a point.

"So we'll have to convince mom. You're right. He always does what mom wants." Their voices were getting quieter and then they were gone. She got out of the pantry and wondered what James and Sarah wanted from her and Steve. They'd already given them their lists for Santa weeks ago. Maybe they wanted to go on a vacation over New Years? Sarah hadn't been to Disneyland yet and she was now old enough for it. Maybe she should talk with Steve about it.

She walked over to the fridge to check what she could make for dinner when she noticed that they were already out of milk even though she 'd just put a new bottle in there yesterday. And she'd seen that they were out of canned tuna when she'd cleaned up the pantry. She had been sure that they'd still had a few cans. Weird.

She talked with Steve about a potential trip to Disneyland when the kids were in bed and he was really into the idea. She sometimes thought that her husband was a bigger Disney fan than her children.

She was getting suspicious of her children when both of them didn't want to go with their parents and the Starks ice skating. Being friends with a billionaire meant having a whole freaking ice rink to themselves. She just didn't get why the kids didn't want to go. Okay, Sarah was still so little but she knew that her daddy would never let her fall and James _loved_ ice skating. And they both got along so well with the Stark twins! No, they wanted to stay at home and they barely left James' room. James didn't even want her or Steve to bring him to bed. Okay. he was eight but he'd still got his good night kiss.

What was going on?

James was in school, Sarah in kindergarten and Steve was out getting last minute things for their romantic weekend trip. She was alone at home and decided to find out what was so interesting about James' room. She had been in here only a handful of times until James or Sarah had chased her away. She was their mother and she wanted to know what the fuck was going on with her kids!

She opened the door to James' room and everything seemed normal so far. A few toys were on the ground and clothes were on his bed but nothing unusual for a eight year old boy. But it did smell a bit funny in here. She sniffed a few times and it smelled faintly like fish. She went to open a window wondering where that smell came from. Did James take the canned tuna and ate it in here? Why on earth would he do that? And what did Sarah have to do with it? It just didn't make any sense!

She opened the window and saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked at James' bed and she was positive that she'd seen something move between the pillows. She took a step closer and noticed a new stuffed animal. Where did James get that cat? Did Steve get him that?

Wait, that stuffed animal was moving! Holy fuck, that was a real cat! The cat, it looked like it was still a kitten, was staring at her. She stared back. Did it got in through the open window? She shook her head. God, _this_ was all this secrecy was about. James and Sarah had been hiding this black kitten in his room! Jesus fucking Christ! What was she supposed to do?

The cat was slowly coming closer and rubbed its head against her hand when it reached her. Okay, it was kinda cute. God, where did the kids find it? Her eyes widened in horror. What if it had fleas or tics?!

She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and called Steve. "Come home right now!" She didn't even give him time to answer before she hung up.

She briefly thought about what to do and then just grabbed the cat and sat it on the kitchen table putting a turned around clothes basket over it, so it couldn't escape.

Steve stormed through the door minutes later. "Natasha!" He yelled frantically. "Are you okay?"

"Kitchen!"

He appeared in the kitchen seconds later. "What's wrong?" He looked at her and then the kitchen table. "What did you do that with that basket? Why is it on the table?" The cat decided to meow in that moment. Steve stared at the basket. "Did you...Is there a cat underneath that clothes basket?"

"Your children have been hiding that thing in James' room! This is why they having been acting so weirdly lately! The missing milk and tuna, they were giving it to that thing!"

"MY children?" Steve chuckled briefly. "Is the cat hurt?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. Aren't you mad that our children lied to us."

"I'm not thrilled about it, Natasha. But they helped this little thing. Took it in and gave it something to eat. That's a kind thing to do."

"They could have just told us!" She threw her hands in the air.

"Would you have let them keep it? You would have taken it to the animal shelter. James wanted a pet for so long and you always said no to a dog. He probably thought you wouldn't let them keep the kitten."

"I said no because a dog is a lot of work!" How could she be the bad guy when she was just being thoughtful. They didn't have the time to take good care of a dog.

"I know. We wouldn't have to take that cat out for a walk though."

"Are you actually suggesting that we keep it?"

"We both know that they will be heartbroken if we give the cat away."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "So they'll get rewarded for keeping a secret."

"No! There will be consequences for that." Steve walked over to the table and freed the cat from its little basket prison. "She's pretty cute, don't you think?" He picked her up and crawled the cat's head. A purring sound was filling the kitchen.

They decided that Natasha would pick the kids up from school and kindergarten since she had the better poker face. She hoped that the kids would somehow tell her about their furry little friend but they didn't say a word.

James and Sarah looked like they were ready to run to James' room when she stopped them. "If you're looking for that cat, she's not in your room!"

Both children turned around with open mouths. "We wanted to tell you, mommy!" Sarah quickly said and James nodded. "But we want to keep her. Liho is our friend!"

"Liho, huh?"

"We are so sorry, mom!" James said and he looked really guilty. "I found her near my school and she was so alone...I just took her and hid her in my backpack. I know you don't want a dog, so I hid her in my room. I told Sarah not to say anything. It's all my fault. Did you bring her to a shelter?"

Both children had tears in their eyes. God, why did she feel like a villain right now?! "No. Your dad took the cat to a vet to make sure it doesn't have anything. Your Liho needs an examination and a few shots. How long were you two hiding that cat anyway?"

"Five days." James mumbled under his breath. Jesus, five days! She was clearly losing her touch if she didn't notice anything for that long.

"Can we keep Liho, mommy?" Sarah asked with a trembling lip. "She's so sweet. She's my best friend!"

"You two lied to me and your father for almost a week. We've been talking and we're both very unhappy about it. We actually wanted to surprise you with a trip to Disneyland-" Her kids' eyes grew big-" But that trip's cancelled. But you can keep the cat, but only and only then, if you never lie to us again!"

Both children ran to her and hugged her.

"Thank you, mommy!

"Thank you, mom!"

Steve came back with a healthy and vaccinated cat and repeated what she'd told the kids. It had hurt them both that their children had kept this from them but she could understand them a little bit. Her immediate reaction would have been to take the cat to an animal shelter. But it was nice to see how responsible the kids were with the kitten and how happy the, well, three were. Liho was so good to the children, never biting or scratching them. And Natasha had to admit that it was quite nice when Liho was purring in her lap while she was reading something. The only one complaining was Bucky who now not only had to watch Sarah and James but also a cat while she and Steve were away. There was no way they were going to cancel their weekend trip to Vermont for some much needed romance and they were mostly ignoring Bucky's texts whining about that Liho was trying to bite into his bionic arm.

* * *

 _A/N: Please do not feed cats milk! They are lactose intolerant and you should only give them special cat milk!_


End file.
